Mr. Zelenskyy admitted that the Ukrainian budget is hardly enough for the army.

In an interview with Time magazine, Mr. Zelenskyy questioned the ability to maintain troops if there was a ceasefire or pause in hostilities.

"If there is a ceasefire, some kind of pause, how long can the army hold out?... They still need rest, rotation, reserves and pay. I think that is a real problem, because the army used to be much smaller than it is now. When the army triples in size, more money is needed. The Ukrainian budget cannot afford it," Mr. Zelenskyy admitted.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Photo: Facebook/zelenskyy.official

He stressed the need for special programs to finance the Ukrainian military, and reiterated his desire for European funding. "Europe needs to fund this program. Ideally, Europe and the United States. But in the current circumstances, I would rely more on Europe," he said.

On March 25, the Ukrainian parliament passed a law sharply increasing the salaries of government employees, while military salaries were not prioritized. Previously, Ukrainian civil servants received salaries 3-10 times higher than the national average.

MP Alexey Goncharenko criticized Ukraine's 2025 budget for prioritizing road construction and high salaries for officials over investment in the military, despite a budget deficit of up to $37.2 billion (equivalent to 19.4% of GDP).

Hoai Phuong (according to TASS, Time)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/ong-zelenskyy-thua-nhan-ngan-sach-ukraine-kho-du-cho-quan-doi-post340159.html